Annual Report published for year which saw over 9 million ballots cast

31 July 2025 – An Coimisiún Toghcháin has published its annual report for 2024, a year which marked the first full year of activity for Ireland’s independent electoral commission and stood out as one of the busiest electoral years ever in the State

The Annual Report outlines An Coimisiún’s work across two referendums in March 2024, local and European elections in June, the election for Ireland’s first ever directly elected mayor held in Limerick in June, and the general election in November.

An Coimisiún’s achievements in 2024 included:

• Delivery of accessible information and public awareness campaigns for six electoral events.
• Effective communications campaigns prompting unprecedented levels of voter registrations and significant cuts in the level of spoilt votes.
• Publication of our first Research Programme 2024-2026 setting out five strands of new research, and the establishment of Ireland’s National Election and Democracy Study (NEDS).
• Visiting polling stations in all 26 counties on polling days of 8 March, 7 June and again on 29 November: a total of 285 polling station visits the data from which fed into each of the Post Electoral Event Review reports published.
• Detailed research on Ireland’s electoral registers, including the collation of extensive qualitative and quantitative data from the 31 local authorities.
• Maintaining the integrity of the Register of Political Parties.
• The development and publication of our first Strategy Statement to run for three years to 2026.
• Installation into our new offices in Dublin Castle and year-on-year growth in our staff team from 20 to 30.

Speaking on the publication, Art O’Leary Chief Executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin stated:

“It was a year like no other, when Ireland went to the polls not once, but three times, and over 9 million votes were cast — each one a quiet demonstration of democracy in action. We thank every voter who took part – your voices shape our future. 

“Every election is a reminder that democracy is not just an event — it is a shared commitment. To those who did not vote last year, for whatever reason, we invite you to take your place in our shared democratic story. Our duty is to protect, support and encourage every voice — with integrity, with independence, and with unwavering commitment.

“In our first full year of operation as Ireland’s independent electoral commission we were delighted to support voters with the information they needed to get on the electoral register; to understand how to vote and how their vote works; and to encourage everyone on the register to get out and vote on polling day.”

– ENDS-

For further information, please contact:

Brian Dawson, Communications and Public Affairs Manager,

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission,

Brian.dawson@electoralcommission.ie / 086 0749344

Editor’s Note:

Full text of the An Coimisiún Toghcháin Annual Report 2024 is available at the following links:

English

Irish

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission

An Coimisiún Toghcháin is a statutory, independent body, established on 9 February 2023 with responsibility for a broad range of electoral functions set out in the Electoral Reform Act 2022.

An Coimisiún is central to Ireland’s electoral system, carrying out a range of existing and new electoral functions, including:

• overseeing the modernised Electoral Register, making recommendations and setting standards in relation to its maintenance and updating;
• promoting public awareness of, and working to increase public participation in the State’s electoral and democratic processes through education and information programmes;
• responsibility for the registration of political parties;
• the regulation of online paid-for political advertising, ensuring transparency in respect of online political advertisements during the period of an election or referendum campaign; (Legislation not yet commenced); and
• responsibility for the investigation and monitoring of online disinformation, online misinformation and manipulative or inauthentic behaviour online during election campaign periods, as well as functions to prevent manipulative or inauthentic behaviours online. (Legislation not yet commenced).
• making reports for the Minister in relation to local electoral boundaries;
• preparing research programmes and conducting research on electoral policy and procedure, and providing advice, as required, to the Minister and Government;
• the preparation of ex-post reports on the administration of electoral events;
• the decision-making, oversight, secretariat and supporting services associated with explaining the subject matter of referendum proposals, the promotion of public awareness of referendums and encouragement of the electorate to vote at referendum polls; and
• the conducting of reviews and making reports in relation to the constituencies for the election of members to the Dáil and the election of members to the European Parliament.

It is anticipated that the initial set of functions assigned to An Coimisiún will be expanded upon as it builds capacity and expertise.